Dr. Girish Panicker (Honey), professor, and director of Federally funded Conservation Research Center, Mississippi, and an adviser to the Indian American International Chamber of Commerce, was recently honored with the 2020 Organic Achievement Award from the American Society of Agronomy (ASA).
Sponsored by the ASA Organic Management Systems Community, the award acknowledges leadership and accomplishments in education and research that advance and contribute to the global organic agricultural community.
“This is one of the greatest achievements of my career,†said Bharat Gaurav (Pride of India Award recipient) Dr. Panicker, who is thrilled to be nationally recognized for his contributions within the last two decades. “I have been a member of the ASA for over 30 years, and I must say that I am honored to have received one of the most prestigious awards that this society offers.â€
Panicker was among four shortlisted recipients and was meticulously elected by the ASA community through an online poll of nominated candidates. Most of his research interests stem from working in organic and sustainable agriculture systems. His past and current studies have focused extensively on understanding how cropping and management practices affect erosion rates with a special emphasis in cover-management factor (C-factor) calculation and residue management.
Some of Dr. Panicker’s most notable achievements include increasing Vitamin C levels in organic blueberries for public consumption, collaborating with U.S. Army scientists to produce a premier organic fertilizer, and working relentlessly to get his organic Muscadine grape vineyard selected by the United States Department of Agriculture for soil health studies. His organic blueberry is 83% higher in Vitamin C than any other blueberries and is also high in anthocyanins and flavonoids. His animal waste based organic fertilizer is slow-release and environmentally friendly, and it traps ammonia and prevents groundwater pollution.
He is an authority in C factor research with work done on 45 horticultural crops with over 145,000 readings. This information is used worldwide for erosion prediction, nutrient management on organic fields, and conservation planning, and climate change. Not only has Panicker contributed significantly to the organic field of research, but he has educated and mentored students both locally and globally, helping them to learn organic practices and produce organic food. In the future, he hopes to continue to make a difference in the lives of students, farmers, and the organic industry.
Panicker is the first Indian scientist and the preliminary Keralite of Indian origin to acquire this prestigious accolade. Late Mrs. Pankajam Panicker and Mr. Sukumara Panicker (Thiruvanathapuram) are Dr. Panicker’s parents. Late Sri Kozhencherry V.K. Padmanabhan’s daughter Rani (Thiruvanathapuram) is his wife and Gem Panicker is their only child.
